Machine
by 3ONESHOTS
Summary: I am a Vocaloid. I am a machine. I was programmed to sing, not to feel. Yet... I still feel for this woman. I felt for her the moment she had laid eyes on me. Miku/Luka, Rin/Gumi. Yuri. NOTE: Temporarily discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

Meh, I'm not so sure what brought this up... Oh yeah. I've always wondered about all those Vocaloid fangirls, and their obsessions with certain Vocaloids... I certainly hope nobody thinks they actually have a chance with a singing computer. Anyways. So, I thought, 'what would happen if a human fell for a Vocaloid? Or if a Vocaloid fell for a human?' I was originally planning to do this fic in reverse, with Luka being the Vocaloid, but I decided to change it. I'm still not too sure about this one... The writing style seems a bit off, but oh well. *shrugs* It is how it is.

Warnings: Very light yuri.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid, and I never will.

. . . .

She's coming.

I can hear the pattering of her feet as she approaches the doorway. I can hear the creaking of the door as she opens it and greets me with a phony smile as she walks in. I can see her running her hand through her soft pink hair; she does that when she's nervous. I know this, because I've been with Miss Luka for as long as I can remember. From the moment I was given a voice to the moment I was shipped off to her residence. Luka is a kind woman. She cares for me, she checks for bugs in my system daily, and she feeds her family. Am I family? That, I'm not so sure of.

I am a machine. I am not programmed to feel.

I am programmed to sing.

"Good afternoon, Miku," she says wearily. Luka is sitting at the dining table, lazily writing something in her notebook. Luka loves to write. Although I have never read any of her works, I'm sure she's good at it. She is the most amazing person I've ever met... Am I supposed to be thinking such things? Master said machines are not meant to have emotions. If these "feelings" dancing around in my circuitry aren't true, I have no clue what they are. Loyalty? Devotion to my new master?

"Good afternoon, Miss Luka," I reply stiffly. I wish I could speak with more feeling towards her. I care for her so much. "Would you like me to sing to you?" Luka loves music. She loves my voice, as well. What troubles me, is that she doesn't reply and returns back to writing in her notebook. Is she in pain? She seems to be hurting; does she have a virus? No. Humans are not machines. They can catch illnesses, such as the flu, but cannot suffer from computer viruses. Finally, Luka gives me her attention.

"No... Not today, Miku. I don't think a song will help me all that much right now," she huffs softly. I sit up from my position on the comforter. I am... I am concerned. For Luka.

"Is something wrong?" I ask. No. That didn't come out in the way I wanted it to. "Can I help you with anything?"

Luka looks up from her notebook and flashes me one of her radiant smiles. "I-It's nothing, really... Nothing you need to worry over, but..." She inhales. "Do you remember Gumi?" I do. I remember Gumi clearly. I have every detail of that young human girl stored in my memory files. File GUMI. Short green hair. Orange tinted goggles. A somewhat dingy personality. Very close to Luka. I never liked her.

"I remember," I tell her. "I remember everything about her."

Luka's smile dims. "Of course you do. Everything seemed to be working out so well, but... I guess every relationship has its limits. Today just happened to be our limit, I suppose." It takes exactly 3.25 seconds to process Luka's words. She and Gumi were in a close relationship. Their close relationship reached its "limit". I haven't heard the word limit before. I decide to save it along with Unit GUMI's file. That way, I would know what the word limit meant if I ever forgot.

"Are you saying your relationship with Unit GUMI has ended?" I ask. I'm hoping Luka says yes, and tells me that she will "get over" Gumi, as most humans say. Again, I am bewildered at my conflicted feelings for this woman.

"Miku, please don't call her Unit GUMI," Luka pleads with a sigh. "I loved her. I really did, and I know she tried to love me back. That's all that counts in the end." She fiddles with a lock of pink hair. "Rin was the only one who could get her to smile, though. I know she's truly happier with her."

Unit RIN. I add her to my memory files.

"I'm so sorry..." I answer, "About your loss."

Luka stands up and places a hand on my shoulder, the other hand moving to gently touch my face. My circuitry begins to heat up as her fingers lightly touch my cheek, but she stops and shamefully rests her hand on my other shoulder. I try to hide my obvious disappointment, a "feeling" that I've felt more than once. Her fingers are pressing into my back, her eyes suddenly looking misty. Is this how humans react to heartbreak? I store this new information in my Unit HUMAN file.

"It's not your fault, Miku," she says.

She pulls away, and instantly I want her to be near me again. My voice box's settings are raised two octaves higher as I tell her, "But I want to help you! I don't want to see you so sad." Luka stares at me. She looks unsettled.

"Why can't you let me help you?" I ask her quietly.

She's silent. The only noises resounding around the house is the pattering of steady rain and the screams of young human children as they run for shelter. I hear the doors of several other neighboring houses as the children safely return to their shelters. Then she sighs.

"Okay, if you're really that desperate," she concludes. My lip components are stretched into a small smile. I rarely smile, but today is an exception. I have never been outside of the Megurine residence before, and I feel a sharp pang of excitement. Excitement. A "feeling" I haven't felt before.

I add it to my short list of emotions in my Unit FEELINGS file.

. . . .

"What is our destination?"

"The mall," Luka replies. I note that she sounds much more at ease, and has brought her notebook with her. I'm glad that she's back to her original self; I felt so... Depressed when Luka had been moping approximately 10.36 minutes ago. When going to the mall, I soon learn, a human, especially if female, doesn't usually go without company.

"Do you remember Meiko?" Luka asks.

"Yes," I confirm. Unit MEIKO. Very close to Luka, though not in the same manner as Unit GUMI. Short brown hair. Loves the human concoction "sake".

"Come on, Miku," Luka laughs. "Loosen up a bit. You don't have to talk like a machine all the time; you do pick up human terms and save them in your... Your "memory files", right?"

"Affirma-" Don't talk like a machine. "... Yeah." Human terms sound so strange and foreign, I hardly bother to use them. Words like "yeah", "sure", and "okay" are simply not words a machine would speak. But if it makes Luka happier... I suppose I could use them once in a while.

Luka's car parks in an empty spot. The rain is still pouring down heavily, and others are holding up human devices called "umbrellas" as they scuttle towards the safety of the mall. I can feel the droplets of water soaking my clothes. Unfortunately, Luka has forgotten her umbrella.

"Ah, I knew this would happen," she mutters. "I'm glad I brought my jacket." She pulls her arms out of the jacket's sleeves and beckons me closer. I obey.

"Hey, Miku," she says. "I'm going to cover both of us with my jacket, seeing as I forgot my umbrella. Stay close to me." Luka pulls me closer to her, and I feel the soft patter of raindrops as they stain the fabric of her jacket. I can feel her warmth, her heartbeat as she waves at a brunette woman pacing at the mall's entrance.

"Meiko! Meiko," she pants as she dives under the mall's canopy. "Sorry we're... Late..." I pay no attention to Meiko as she scolds Luka in mock anger. Instead, I focus on the warm "feeling" I get whenever Luka turns to flash me a knowing smile. Does Meiko not know about Gumi?

We enter the mall, and instantly I'm blinded by all of the new shapes and colors. Luka pats me in reassurance, and Meiko shoots me a confused look. "Who's the new girl?"

"Ah, I can't believe I forgot to tell you," Luka groans apologetically. "This is Unit HATSUNE MIKU, official Vocaloid." I'm grateful that she used the term "Unit". I only feel comfortable with Luka using my first name. I only allow those who are closest to me to address me as Miku.

"You mean those singing robots?" Meiko says bluntly. "I hear they have real pretty voices... I wish I had one of those. I hear Crypton might be creating new Vocaloids."

"That sounds interesting," Luka hums nonchalantly. Her hand is still entwined with mine, and at the moment, that's the only thing my processor can think about. The way her fingers squeeze mine every now and then, and the way her long hair brushes against my shoulder. Even with her hair wet, Luka still manages to look elegant. I feel my face heating up.

"You don't sound so interested," Meiko teases, and her face lights up when she notices a cafe nearby. "Hey, I'm feelin' kind of hungry, by the way. Why don't we go eat there?"

Luka looks longingly at a boutique. "Eh, why don't we go shopping first, and then we can-" She breaks off with an irritated squeak as Meiko grips her arm and fruitlessly tries to drag her to the cafe; people are busily filing out. I notice some staring at me in shock, as if they recognize me. That is to be expected, though. Shortly after my release, Crypton had advertised me everywhere in the area, from on billboards to television commercials. However, I was just a prototype. Luka had purchased me before anyone else could, and I was glad that it had been her that had bought me.

I'm pulled in along with Luka and Meiko.

Meiko has a cup of strong coffee in her hand. Seeing as she can't have her sake at the moment, she settles for something different. Luka looks worriedly at Meiko as she gulps down a large mouthful of unsweetened coffee. I'm unsure of what to do. Unsure. Another "feeling" to add to my steadily growing list of emotions. I secure it in the file Unit FEELINGS. As the process is completed, I notice Meiko staring intently at Luka. Luka does not return the stare, and instead squeezes my hand again. Luka might not know it, but she turns to me for comfort more times than she can even remember. She's so vulnerable, despite her appearance...

"Luka, I know you," Meiko begins. "You don't usually come to the mall with me along with your prized Vocaloid prototype. Something's wrong."

I feel Luka's hand go rigid. She feels so cold now...

"I-It's nothing," she says. "Just... Some problems with Gumi." She blinks away what looks like rain forming in her eyes. What were they called? I believe the word was tears. I remember them pouring down her face when she had a nasty fight with Gumi in the past. Despite their seemingly loving nature, Gumi was the only one who could get Luka to cry.

"Problems, huh?"

"It... It didn't work out, I guess..."

"... You two broke up?"

Luka doesn't need to say anything, because the moment Meiko speaks those four words, she breaks down in a silent fit of sobs. She doesn't care if the other customers stare, or if some of them start to whisper. Locks of her beautiful pink hair hide her disheveled face, and Meiko doesn't do anything to try and comfort her. She stares, as if this had already occurred some time ago, and gently, she pulls Luka up from her sitting position.

"Luka..."

The woman tilts her head upward.

"Go get yourself cleaned up... I'll be waiting here..."

. . . .

"Luka?"

"I'm n-not done yet."

I've been waiting in the bathroom stalls for quite a long period of time now. Luka hasn't locked her stall door, but I don't wish to disturb her. It appears Gumi's breakup with her has had much more of an impact than I had imagined. Humans are such emotional creatures; their hearts are so fragile. So easy to break, yet so hard to mend. I find this strange.

Luka finally steps out from the bathroom stall. Her face is red. She walks up to the bathroom mirror, checking her appearance. I want to tell her she looks pretty, even on her worst days. But Luka would most likely be embarrassed.

"I... I'm so sorry... About everything." I apologize quietly.

Luka, surprised, looks up from her mirror. "What?"

I stare. She doesn't know... I was built to sing for her, and yet I couldn't help these... Feelings that I feel for her. Machines, as Master always said, were not supposed to feel. If that is true, then why am I always so flustered around Luka? Am... Am I not a machine? No. That can't be; I was built, manufactured. I don't have a human heart, yet I feel budding affections for this woman. I am not human, yet I still love.

So I attempt to convey my feelings through words.

"I... I believe I'm in love with you..."

Luka's mouth is agape, not moving, not speaking. Her face is flushed, and her eyes are wide. She's shocked; I can tell. I can't blame her, though. I would be shocked as well if my friend confessed her love for me. She starts to speak. "M-Miku... You... Y-you what...?" Her voice wavers.

"I love you," I repeat. "I love you, I love you so much, even though I'm not supposed to. I am a machine. Machines aren't supposed to feel anything... But I have feelings for you, Luka." Master's cold words ring in my ears; Humans feel. Machines don't. Humans cannot love machines, and machines cannot love humans. Simple as that, Unit HATSUNE MIKU. Remember that...

I remember. It doesn't mean I have to listen.

Luka's eyes are tearing up again; is her heart breaking, all over again? She doesn't look sad or in pain. She looks... She looks happy. Note: Tears sometimes form when humans are feeling happy. Store in: Unit HUMAN. Process complete.

"Miku, I-I forgot to tell you something as well... I can't believe I've held this back from you for so long..." Luka finally says, striding towards me from the bathroom mirror. I notice how tall she really is; a few inches taller than me. Jitters are sent throughout my circuitry as her hands grip my shoulders once more, her gaze gentle and serene as she leans down and looks me in the eyes. I can feel the heat radiating from her face in waves; Note: In some cases, humans may heat up whenever close to others they feel strongly towards. Store in: Unit HUMAN. Process complete.

"I love you too," she whispers, and I feel her mouth connecting with mine. I can feel my circuitry sparking in shock. The moment passes by all too fast, and Luka quickly pulls away.

"I'm not saying it again," she informs me, awkwardly brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. She opens the bathroom door and it shuts behind her with a clang. I'm standing in the middle of the womans' bathroom, my systems in a frazzled mess.

Happiness. Add to Unit FEELINGS.

Love. Add to Unit FEELINGS.


	2. Chapter 2

Whoa, two updates in one day. Would this be considered T or M? I think I'll stick to T, since I haven't written any lemons yet. This could be seen as a side story to the first chapter of this fanfic. Yeah, I decided to continue this. Honestly, this is my first time ever writing something as bold as this, and the atmosphere is definitely darker than Miku's and Luka's chapter. I hope it's okay, though... Um, anyways, enjoy! *runs off*

Warnings: Yuri. Lots of it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid.

. . . .

I'm walking through the crowded streets of my hometown.

Why am I out here, soaking in the street's artificial light, instead of spending my time with Gumi back at home? I'm not so sure. I guess I just need a break. Everyone needs a bit of fresh air once in a while. Especially from Gumi. That girl has got to be the most unappreciative, demanding human being I have ever met... That doesn't mean she's not pretty. Quite the opposite, in fact, although I rarely tell her.

I hear a harsh buzz in my jacket pocket.

I mutter a few incoherent complaints. I was going to check out the movie theatre and see if I could watch something enjoyable, maybe grab a snack or two, but Gumi just had to interrupt me. She has some sort of sixth sense or whatnot; whenever I'm out and about, she always calls me at the most inconvenient of times. I notice the moon has reached its highest peak in the sky, its white light bathing the streets. I can feel the beginnings of a light drizzle, the chilly breeze ruffling my short hair. I reach one gloved hand into my pocket and pull out my cell.

It was a text. Typical Gumi.

GUMI: hey rin i havent seen u and its been at least 10 min where r u

RIN KAGAMINE: I'm just out right now, I'll come back in five minutes. Just gotta check something out.

I sigh, and cram my cell back into my pocket, only to hear another buzz as Gumi texts me back. I look at the screen.

GUMI: u can check whatever u wanna check out latr right now i want u back home

RIN KAGAMINE: Kay, wait for me.

I hold the phone in my hands and look up at the sky. The clouds have covered the moon and the first few raindrops fall to the ground, splashing in my eyes. I blink furiously; the stubborn droplets of rainwater sting. What bothers me more than the rain is Gumi's texts. From what I read, it seems like she really misses me...

My cell buzzes again.

I groan. Another text, I assume. I stare at the bright screen, and notice that the text sender isn't Gumi. I heave a sigh of relief.

LEN KAGAMINE: hey, Rin, our essays are due 2 days from now. hope you get the time to work on it

I return to my previous thoughts. Does Gumi miss me?

Nah. If anything, our relationship is completely one-sided.

. . . .

I knock on the door, expecting to hear silence, or the loud noise of Gumi's television. I'm surprised, though, when instead I hear the pattering of Gumi's feet as she rushes to the door and opens it, a cheery smile plastered on her face. She looks so much prettier with that innocent smile, much more so than her usual haughty smirk. I smile in return.

"Rinny! I was kinda starting to worry, you were out for so long!" she exclaims, pulling me in. The rain has just begun to pour a bit more heavily, and Gumi shuts the door behind me in fear of her carpet getting wet.

"S-Sorry about that. Just wanted to take a little walk. I guess I lost track of time," I reply, sinking into the couch. I grab the remote and start flipping through channels. Commercial, commercial, romantic movie, football game, commercial, new Vocaloid advertisement...

"Hmm. Maybe you should keep a watch or something so you don't lose track again," Gumi says absentmindedly. "I have quite a few watches upstairs. Most of them were given to me by my relatives, but they don't serve much purpose." She pulls her orange elastic goggles off and places them on the side table. I feel the couch sink even further as Gumi takes a spot beside me. Embarrassingly, I can hardly concentrate on the television with her pressed up so close to me; her legs and hips glued to my side, one arm wrapped around my shoulder, her fingers playing with my hair...

I want to slap myself. We're in a relationship, I shouldn't be so affected by her closeness. Maybe I'm acting this way because she rarely sits so near me.

"Rin."

I turn to her. "Yeah, what?"

Gumi's fingers stop toying with my hair and move downwards to tug at my jacket, slipping my arms out of its sleeves and discarding it beside the couch. The cold air hits my skin, and immediately I want to shrink away. Her breath is warm against my neck, coming out in shallow billows. A sharp gasp escapes my mouth as she slides her hand down my side. Her fingers maneuver themselves under my shirt, pulling at the thin fabric as she rests her head lazily against my shoulder.

"H-Hey, Gumi- What are y-you doing...?"

"I can't help but feel that you've been avoiding me lately," she murmurs into my ear, pushing me down against the soft cushioning of the couch, her hand roaming upwards and tugging at the seams of my bra. I jerk at her touch; this isn't the first time she's done this. Despite how many times she's made advances on me, I always react in the same way: jumpy. Unprepared.

I gasp sharply as she pulls my shirt up and over my shoulders, my stomach and my chest now exposed. What irritates me is that I don't make any moves to stop her. I'm helpless. She pinches my right nipple lightly through the fabric of my bra, and I can't hold back the quiet groan that spills out from my lips at the sudden shock of pleasure. Gumi takes this as a signal to move on.

She nips gently at my earlobe, trailing down my neck and throwing in a couple of quick licks in between. I can't help the surge of arousal that shoots through my body, the pleasure I feel whenever she touches me this way. She pulls my bra off eagerly. I squirm when I notice her staring, mesmerized as she takes in the sight splayed out before her. I moan as she drags a slow lick over my nipple and takes it in her warm mouth, sucking.

"Nnghh... H-hey, Gumi..."

She glances up at me, green eyes darkening with lust and passion as her other hand caresses my cheek. I flinch. I haven't ever taken it this far with Gumi. Usually, I would push her off and wander elsewhere before she could even take my shirt off. Seems like she's hornier than usual today.

"Mm? You want me to stop? It's okay, we can take a quick break, and then we can get back to where we left off..." she purrs. I resist the urge to whimper when I feel her hand leave my face and rest against my hips.

"No, no, really! Not now...!" I cry. Gumi snarls in defiance as I attempt to protect my body from further probing. "Not now..." I struggle to keep my emotions in check. Sitting up, I tighten my bra and adjust it to its previous position and wriggle back into my shirt. Gumi's eyes are flaring in anger.

"Not now, huh?" she snorts. "I wonder how long it'll take, if you won't even let me after six months of being together."

I stand up from the couch. "I'm not ready," I say simply.

"Oh, but I am," Gumi retorts. She's pissed. There is a moment of lengthy silence as I walk up the staircase. Gumi returns to watching television, her eyes fixated on the screen. I want to tell her that I'm sorry; even if she only sees me as a plaything, I truly love her. I want the best for her.

"Well... Good night."

"Hmm."

. . . .

I hear a buzz next to my nightstand. Gumi's head is resting peacefully on her pillow; one of her hands found its way around my waist. I don't want to disturb her. Waking Gumi early in the morning is a surefire way to get a serious tongue-lashing. I grab my cell.

KAGAMINE LEN: Rin, meet me after school. we have some work to catch up on

KAGAMINE RIN: Yeah, okay.

"Mm? Rin...?"

I run my hand through Gumi's messy green hair, ignoring the snort she shoots at me as she squirms closer to the edge of the bed. "Nothing."


	3. Chapter 3

Yay, third chapter! So, I got quite a few followers and favorites, so I decided to get to work on the next chapter right away. This one was harder to write than the others for some reason. If any of you have ideas for the next chapter (which will be in Rin's POV once again), just drop a review and I'll see what I can do. I'm looking forward to getting back to Rin and Gumi. They're fun to write~

Warnings: Very light yuri.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid.

. . . .

Restart.

Restart.

46.331% loading...

61.2% loading...

97.52% loading...

100% loading...

Power: ON.

Welcome, Unit HATSUNE MIKU.

I awaken to the warm light of the afternoon sun, which had risen much earlier than me. I can hear the chittering of creatures known as "birds" outside, their calls sweet and melodic. Sometimes, I think to myself that even birds are able to sing better than me on my worst days. Luka always tells me otherwise, though. I'm very grateful for her support...

Memories of yesterday flash through my processor. The mall. The rain. Meiko. The cafe, and the incident. The incident that had occurred in the womans' bathroom. When I had admitted my feelings to Luka, and she in return confessed her's.

And... And the kiss.

I remember seeing human couples preform this action on Luka's television. She would always sigh in a listful, longing manner. I never understood why, until now. I remember feeling... "love" and "happiness". Emotions that I had never felt before. As a machine, feelings like those should be far beyond my reach. I am inferior to human beings, in a way.

"Miku, you should get up now. It's past 7 o'clock, and I need to go meet someone for a bit. It's very urgent," Luka says as she opens the door to my temporary bedroom quarters. She has her writing notebook in the one hand. I can safely assume that she's going out to meet someone who has a vast knowledge of writing.

"Yes, I should," I sigh. "Why are you in a hurry?" I unplug myself from my recharge cables and quizzically look to her for answers. Luka fidgets, her pale eyes flitting about.

"I've just finished the manuscript for one of my books, and I'm going to meet up with my editor for a few minutes. It's just a quick talk. If you want, we could go do whatever you'd like to do afterwards," she tells me.

"That would be nice," I murmur. Luka is such a hard worker, something that I really admire about her. "Maybe... Maybe we can go get some food... And perhaps walk around a bit."

Luka smiles. "Oh, yeah. You haven't been out much, have you?" I shake my head. "Well, maybe I can show you our resident high school... The one that Gumi goes to." She looks so depressed at that moment. "Well, breakfast's waiting downstairs. Go eat some, and then we'd better hurry."

. . . .

I'm still not accustomed to riding in Luka's car. The bumps in the road don't help much either, to my disappointment. Luka glances back at me. "Okay, I want you to stand quietly. Don't do anything reckless and wait." She parks and looks out the window. A young woman, her hair long and flaxen blonde, is waiting outside. Her legs are crossed, her arms resting against the hood of her car. Instantly I can sense an aura of authority surrounding this woman. Luka tenses as she approaches her, offering her hand, which the woman gladly shakes in return. Luka says something inaudible, opening her notebook and showing it to the woman. I zero in on their conversation, although I have not been given permission.

"So... How is it so far, Lily?" Luka asks.

Lily places one finger against her mouth, pondering. "Hmm. I think it's good so far, but you might want to check to make sure you don't use the same words repeatedly. Like here, in paragraph four..." Luka bends over to look. I stop listening for a while and sink back into my seat in the back of the car. I don't wish to cause trouble, so instead I decide to stay back here, out of the way.

I hear a loud tap against my window. "Pssh. Hey."

I turn. Startled by the sudden noise, I almost don't register the small, unkempt little teenager standing by my window. She's hidden from Luka's and Lily's eyes, and she seems to want to talk to me. Luka has taken her car keys with her, so I can't roll my window down. I strain to hear the girl's quiet voice. She's wearing a worn down hoodie, a few of its seams undone, with the hood covering her mop of yellow hair. Her eyes are blue, an unusual teal shade much like my own. Her small hand is pressed up against the cold face of my window.

"... Ey, you're... Iku, right?"

I stare in confusion. Her words are muffled by the protective barrier between us. Processing... Sentence most likely translates to: "Hey, you're Miku, right?" It is a rough translation, but it makes sense, so I take it that's what she was saying to me. I nod. The young girl grins.

"Hey, Miku. My name's Rin." Ah. Unit RIN. I access her file. Not much information was given by Luka, but from what I heard that day, Rin is Gumi's new girlfriend. They have been together for approximately six months and eight days. She doesn't seem like the kind of person who would date Gumi; messy, unkempt, a bit on the "tomboy" side... She does give off somewhat of a cheerful, carefree aura, though. She seems like everything Gumi isn't. I'm panicking, hoping Luka doesn't decide to cut her conversation with Lily short.

"Say, that's Luka, the girl you live with, right?" Rin asks. She's pointing at the Luka with obvious interest.

"Uh, yes..." I reply. What is she trying to do?

"Ah, I thought so. She's pretty; you must feel pretty lucky to have her," Rin whistles, flashing me a knowing smile. I can feel a blush staining my cheeks. "Eh, no need to get all embarrassed. Luka and my girlfriend Gumi used to date back in the day..." she continues, eyes saddening. "Gumi didn't treat her the way she wanted to be treated, and..." I look closely at Rin's neck. Curious. I can see a few shallow marks embedded on her pale skin; almost like... Like bite marks. Rin notices me staring and laughs nervously.

"Well, we're in our own relationship now," she says. "I know Luka and Gumi both miss each other occasionally, and I just happened to find you two down the street, so I thought I'd say hi..." She pauses, realizing that she's rambling. "Oh, yeah. Miku. I have to tell you something." She leans in, her breath fogging up the window. I lean in as well.

"Luka's fragile. It might take a while for her scars to heal, so..." Her eyes soften and she smiles. "If it's not that much, please take care of her. She needs someone. Someone other than Gumi, and I think she might open up to you if you give her patience."

I hear footsteps as Luka, notebook in hand, walks up to her car and presses a button on her car key pad. There's a click, telling her that her car has been unlocked. Rin's eyes widen, and she mouths a quick goodbye before running down the sidewalk, her hands in her pockets. Luka opens the door and settles down in the drivers' seat.

"How did it go?" I prompt her.

"Great," she answers. "Lily helped me fix up a few things."

The ride to Gumi's school is uneventful.

. . . .

We stop by the school's entrance. Its size is almost overwhelming, and instantly I feel the urge to ask Luka questions about what human teenagers do in "high school". I've heard that they learn here, and there are teachers. That's about all I know, though, so I'm eager to add more information to my banks. Luka leads me to the school's doors.

"This is where Rin and Gumi go to school," she tells me. "It's not very exciting here. Maybe we can go check out the movie theatre, or go get some ice cream, o-or..." She sighs. "I give. I don't have any more ideas..."

"Hey, Luka!" a new voice chimes. I turn to see... A boy. A young boy, around Rin's age, with a similar mop of blonde hair and teal eyes. They look so identical... Maybe they are twins. Luka never told me Rin had a brother. Perhaps she didn't know... After all, Gumi probably never told her.

"Oh, Len!" she exclaims, ruffling the shorter boy's hair. "How's Rin doing? Oh, how's school? Are you doing your homework? Have you started your essay yet?" Len swats Luka's hand away, although he doesn't look annoyed. He looks... A bit melancholy, a word I learned from Luka.

"Rin's doing okay..." he says quietly. "I haven't seen her in a really long time, except at school, but when she texts me, she always seems so happy..." He looks Luka in the eye. "I'm worried for her, Luka. I really am. Every time I meet her before class starts, she looks so tired... I hate when she keeps stuff away from me..."

Luka wraps her arms around him. "It's okay... I'm sure Rin's just fine..." Inside, though, I can tell she's hurting. She knows why Rin is so "down in the dumps". It's Gumi. It's all Gumi's fault, and she knows it. Telling Len about Gumi might not be the best choice, though, so she keeps silent.

"Hey, who's the new girl you got with you?" he asks after he pulls away from Luka's motherly embrace. I feel the need to hide myself from his watchful gaze. Luka nudges me closer to the blonde boy.

"This is Miku. Hatsune Miku. I'm sure you've heard of her; she's the new Vocaloid that was recently released by Crypton," she says. I wave shyly at Len. I don't yet feel comfortable around him, but if he's related to Rin, I'm sure I can learn to like him. Len smiles at me.

"Nice to meet you, Miku," he welcomes me. He looks at Luka. "So... You two live in the same house, right? And, I heard from Rin that the two of you are a bit friendlier than most friends usually are..." I know what he's implying. Luka knows too, and she blushes furiously.

"Ah, no, no, not exactly... Like that..." she protests weakly. "We're not in a relationship." She then leans closer to my ear and adds quietly, "At least, not yet." Len raises an eyebrow, but seems to take the hint and drops the subject.

"Alright, whatever you say," he says. "I'll tell Rin you said hi." He walks away, and Luka leads me back to her car.

. . . .

LEN KAGAMINE: hey. Rin, how's the essay going?

RIN KAGAMINE: Pretty well. Just gotta finish up the last paragraph and I'll be ready to go.

LEN KAGAMINE: that's good. Rin, i gotta ask you something.

RIN KAGAMINE: Yeah, what?

LEN KAGAMINE: this might sound a bit overprotective, but i haven't seen you a lot outside of school. i need to know what's going on. could you tell me?

RIN KAGAMINE: You don't need to know everything about my life outside of school. I like to keep to myself.

LEN KAGAMINE: i get that, i just want to know what you've been up to and i'll leave it at that

RIN KAGAMINE: I've been busy. Gotta go, bye.

LEN KAGAMINE: Rin, wait! could you meet me after school again?

Rin doesn't reply.


End file.
